Mr. & Mrs. Wok: An unexpected Asian-fusion jewel

You may have driven by Mr. & Mrs. Wok on busy Holman Road in the Crown Hill/Greenwood neighborhood dozens of times without noticing the sleek, bright Asian-fusion restaurant, right next to the Chickalatte coffee spot.

But stop in once and you'll never again take the Holman Road bend without wanting some noodles.

The menu: Mr. & Mrs. Wok — really Korean-immigrant owner Hyaeryung Lee and her husband, Scott Lee — has a menu that's basically upscale teriyaki, with dishes that artfully blend Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese influences. So bento boxes, miso soup, Mongol-style beef, Crab Rangoon and Pork Bulgogi mingle happily, on the menu and on the table.

"The Seattle Roll is one of our specialties," said Scott Lee, describing the vegetarian, nonfried, Vietnamese-style rice-paper rolls with cucumbers, shiitake mushrooms, fried tofu and more ($5.49), which were devoured at our table. Bento boxes come with a choice of meat plus rice, egg rolls, miso soup and either the ground-beef juhn pancakes or bean sprouts. Entrees — including plenty of teriyaki dishes, plus classics such as Garlic Chicken and Kung Pao Chicken — come with tofu, meat or veggies, plus rice or noodles.

What to write home about: I loved the Miss Saigon Noodles (served with grilled chicken for $8.99), a cold-rice-noodle dish with a kind of fish-sauce vinaigrette with lime. It was one of the many dishes that demonstrated Mr. & Mrs. Wok's talent for excellent rice, noodles, sides and fresh veggies, but just-OK meats. The marinated beef was the only ordinary thing in the Beef Bulgogi Bento ($12.99), which shone instead in the done-just-right rice and steamed broccoli with ginger sauce. Also delish: an appetizer of Crab Rangoon, the yummy, cream-cheesey fried crab bites ($4.99), which Mr. & Mrs. Wok serves up with cranberry-lime dipping sauce.

The setting: The Lees opened up this nondescript spot in 2006, and have been serving up its blend of fresh rice and noodle dishes ever since. They fill their spacious, bright dining room with friendly service; eat in if you can.

Summing up: Our family of four shared three meals and two appetizers for $48.95 plus a tip, heading out with full and happy tummies, leftovers for the next day and already hungry for our next time round the bend on Holman Road.

Raina Wagner: 206-464-8147 or rwagner@seattletimes.com